Following the statement by Abertis on Eutelsat's intention to initiate the process of divesting its stake in Hispasat through the exercise of a put option granted by Abertis in 2008, Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) states that the exercise of the put represents a pre-agreed exception to a lock-up period extending to the end of July 2017.

StarTimes, one of the fastest-growing operators of digital TV networks in Africa, and Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) have concluded new multi-year agreements that set the stage for accelerated roll-out of digital broadcasting services across Africa.

Yesterday’s first quarter-final of the Euro2016 marked the kick-off of seven matches that Rai, Italy’s national public broadcaster, and Eutelsat (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) are offering Italian TV homes. The initiative with Eutelsat marks Rai’s most ambitious foray into Ultra HD that represents the next big leap forward in broadcasting.

The World Teleport Association (WTA) today announced that Eutelsat Communications has achieved Full Tier 4 Certification for its Paris-Rambouillet teleport in France under WTA’s recently launched Teleport Certification Programme. Tier 4 is the highest of four quality tiers and the Paris-Rambouillet Teleport is the first in the world to achieve that level of Certification.

Eutelsat Communications and InfraMed have entered into an agreement whereby InfraMed becomes a c.21% shareholder in ‘Broadband for Africa’, the venture set up by Eutelsat to provide satellite broadband services on the African continent.

Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) confirms today’s successful launch of its EUTELSAT 117 West B satellite. The satellite was ferried into space by a Falcon 9 rocket that took off from SpaceX’s Space Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral at 10.29 ET (14.29 UTC) and parked EUTELSAT 117 West B in a supersynchronous orbit after a 30-minute flight.

Manoto TV, the highly regarded commercial Persian-language TV channel, is gearing up for launch tomorrow on the EUTELSAT 7B satellite. The channel has signed a capacity agreement with Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) for exclusive broadcasting in HD from EUTELSAT 7B, leveraging the satellite’s high-power footprint to expand its audience in Iran and the Middle East.

Al Jazeera BalkansandEutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) announce today at the NEM media event in Dubrovnik that Al Jazeera Balkans is joining the TEAM:SAT TV platform operated by TEAM:MEDIA and will broadcast exclusively in High Definition, free-to-air from the EUTELSAT 16A satellite. The channel will launch in HD on 1 July.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the premier distributor of sports and news content for the world’s top broadcast and media platforms, and Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) announce the signature of capacity contracts on four Eutelsat satellites.

The Tunisian broadcasting corporation (ONT) has signed a multi-year contract with Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) to broadcast its new subscription-free TV platform across North and West Africa. ONT has selected the powerful EUTELSAT 7 West A satellite to reach viewers across the region.

Eutelsat Communications and Space Systems Loral have successfully carried out transmissions in Extremely High Frequencies (EHF) using an experimental payload flown into space on the EUTELSAT 65 West A satellite.